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Can cavs with SM....

jump onto sofas and walk upstairs...the reason i ask is apparently my hubby says i told him they cant, i have no recollection of ever saying this or even reading it anywhere, but he says that they cannot do this so can someone confirm whether stairs or jumping is not the thing to do.

Depends on the day also. Riley, my SM dog, sometimes has difficulty with the one step up into the house from outside. Other times she can make it up a full flight of stairs - although much slower than my other three, and she bunny hops up. She rarely jumps up onto furniture. That is something that is just mostly beyond her capability. I have petsteps for her in our bedroom and in the living room, which she uses. Funny thing though, Madison (who does not have SM) loves them too and she is a great jumper. Guess she's just lazy or wants to be like her older half-sister.

My Rebel is 9 1/2 with fairly advanced SM - his syrinx is from C1 to C4, but he does choose to come up and down stairs with the other dogs, albeit a little more slowly. This could be due to age or SM - I don't know how to tell. Sometimes I find him sitting on one of the sofas in the living room, usually looking very pleased with himself. I have started using this to gauge whether I have got his mix of medicines right that day.

I only have experience of the one dog with SM, but I do hope it has been useful.

Thank you, this is really helpful...thing is i am starting to get paranoid, i dont know how to touch him anymore, i seem to be leving him alone and he looks fed up, like where are my cuddles etc..i dont want to hurt him and stuff cos i dont know if he is ill or not

My most-affected SM dog Leo (who is nearly 9 now) runs up and down stairs with no issues, jumps on and off sofas, the bed etc. I think it really depends on the individual dog and perhaps the position and size of their syrinx(es) etc. If they are showing any difficulty I would try and prevent stair use, use a doggie steps or so forth.I do have a couple of sets of doggie steps as well and sometimes he uses those.

Ty Karlin...but how do i get rid of this paranoia...i just dont touch him anymore in case i hurt him...i have to put his ear drops in which is becoming stressful for both of us, me not wanting to do it incase i hurt him, him, because he doesnt want them so as soon as he moves his head i jump and panic him....hes running around like a puppy at the moment, and i keep stopping him and try to get him to calm down and lie down, i am becoming terrified of another episode of the yelping...
We have an appt in Best aug 10th, next friday then we will know for sure...thank you for the info you gave me, they sound like really lovely people there.

Unfortunately the worry is always there in the background for informed and caring owners with this breed, as the incidence of these health issues is so high. Deciding to own a cavalier does take careful thought but this is such a rewarding breed in so many ways. We've worked to do fundraising for research and raise awareness of these issues so that puppy buyers can be more informed when searching for a breeder, to find one who does the proper health testing and puts in the best effort they can to help minimise the chances of these problems.

Meanwhile -- I think going by your vet's exam that you can show your dog normal affection. None of my affected dogs needs to be handled gingerly -- though others often do, generally only in a specific area and even then often it is only some days and not others. No dog likes drops in its ears so I wou;dn;t worry too much about his dislike of them and it would help if you have someone else who can hold him gently. Wrapping the dog in a towel can help keep them from struggling or jerking around. The drops are important if he has an ear infection.

With Leo, I wouldn't roughly handle his head or neck area but I would always stroke his head and chest daily and just stay aware as to whether he is sensitive on a given day or not. Sometimes he can be tender on his sides particularly if his meds are due.

Please don't be afraid of touching him and showing him affection in gentle ways.

Riley loves affection, but she'll walk away if she's had too much or if something is bothering her. Unlike other SM dogs, Riley has never yelped in pain or exhibited any sensitive or tender areas. The only way I can tell she's in pain is when she hides under chairs, tables, etc. or walks away from me when I am stroking her. On the other hand, that's normal behavior for some cavaliers. Since Riley is 10 years old (this month !) though I know her personality and I know that those behaviors are telling me that she's removing herself from the situation because she's had too much.

i'm glad your little one is running around like a puppy again. Cuddle him and love him and you'll find out on Friday. If it is SM, you'll find lots of support here. I could not have made it through the early years of Riley's SM without having the compassionate ears of everyone on this board. They listen to your good days and your bad days. And if it's not SM, we'll celebrate with you!